Las Plumas boys basketball team tops rival Oroville

OROVILLE — The last time the Las Plumas and Oroville High boys basketball teams met they needed three overtimes to decide the outcome.

On Friday night, the Thunderbirds made sure the fourth quarter would be more than enough.

Las Plumas came into a packed, boisterous Tigers gym on Oroville's homecoming night and pulled away with a 65-51 victory.

The Thunderbirds pushed the pace as much as possible, and it paid dividends early and late in the rivalry contest. After clinging to a 42-41 lead after three quarters, LP outscored the hosts 23-10 in the final period.

That was similar to the first quarter when the T'birds raced to a 19-8 advantage after the opening 8 minutes.

"I wanted us to push the ball," LP coach Allie Bruce said. "I wanted us to find the quickest, best shot possible and just run them into the ground."

Oroville won the previous meeting 67-62 in the consolation final of the Tigers' own Dennis Burnum Classic on Jan. 5.

That only fueled the Thunderbirds desire for a chance at redemption Friday night. And serving as the homecoming opponent didn't hurt either.

"Ever since we found out they were having homecoming while we were here, we wanted to make sure we ruined it," said Jordan Collins, who led Las Plumas with 16 points and one tone-setting dunk.

For Oroville (7-14, 1-2 EAL), Johnny Xiong had 19 points, and Justin York had 12. Robert Anderson added eight points.

The Thunderbirds came out firing to start the game and led 17-4 after Collins had back-to-back baskets, the first on a dunk — his first slam in a game, he said — that got nearly every Thunderbird and LP supporter up on their feet with 3:06 left in the opening period. His second basket was on a tip of an offensive rebound.

The Tigers rallied, getting to within 34-26 by halftime and within 42-41 on a Luke Lundberg put-back that ended the third quarter.

"We knew it was coming," Bruce said.

Nonetheless the Thunderbirds couldn't keep Oroville from getting back in the game. York got to the line in the second quarter, and Xiong and Anderson provided outside shooting in the second half. After an Anderson 3-pointer, Xiong fired one of his own, drawing the Tigers within 36-34 with 4:50 left in the third.

"I told my assistant, 'Let him keep shooting it if he's going to knock it down,'" Oroville coach Robert Anderson said. "It was good that he did because it kept us in the game."

Xiong's third 3, from the right corner, got the Tigers to within 52-47 with 4:20 left in the game.

The problem for the Tigers was once they fought their way back they didn't have enough left to win it and nowhere near enough to keep up with the running Thunderbirds.

Las Plumas opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run. By pushing the pace and seeking inside shots instead of 3s, the Thunderbirds also enjoyed an advantage in free throws. LP was 9 of 14 in the fourth quarter and 18 of 31 for the game. Oroville, relying on outside shots, was 0 for 2 in the second half and 6 of 10 for the game. York was the lone Tiger to make a free throw, attracting contact on several drives as he was 6 of 10 from the line.

"Our plan was to be the aggressor," Bruce said.

Collins showed that with his early dunk and inside play as he and Osby seemed able to get any rebound possible as Oroville missed forward Chris White, who was out with a knee injury, and Luke Jeffery, who was in foul trouble for much of the game and got his fifth personal with 3:12 left.

The Thunderbirds are enjoying the new running style Bruce implemented now that the team is much healthier than it has been. Collins didn't play until the Burnum Classic after tearing a tendon in his right ankle.

"It's been going well for us," said Collins, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound senior athletic forward. "We're getting pretty good at it. Tonight was a good night for us."